Calling All Angels
by moonlite982
Summary: "Trust is something I never wanted to hand out again but I find myself slowly giving it to him and that scares me." Melissa thought that most of her worries were gone when she and her daughter teams up with a group of survivors from Atlanta but when things go from bad to worse and tragedy brings unwanted memories up, she realizes that there's only one who truly understands her.


**Hey everyone! So I just finished the Walking Dead serious and was totally blown away by the whole show! I decided to write a fanfiction based on it. I'm not the best writer in the world but I decided to go for it. Hope you enjoy it! I don't own anything but my OCs :)**

* * *

My whole body trembles with each step that I take. I wonder for the hundredth time, "How are we alive?" Everything has happened so fast that I've had no chance to let reality sink in. Run, has been my only instinct so far. Run and don't get bit. But now as I walk down the deserted highway clutching my daughter's hand, questions without answers flood my mind. What happened? One day everything is normal and then the next all hell breaks loose. A vicious plague, a cruel joke on humanity breaks out and suddenly friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, random people die and then turn into those…things and then in less than a week over a half of the population is wiped out. I don't remember a lot. It went by in a blur and I still don't know how we managed to get out in time. Maybe it's due to me being a single mother and the protectiveness that comes with it. I fought this long to keep her alive and I didn't plan on losing her any time soon.

My name is Melissa Wilson, I'm 25 years old and I, along with my 10 year old daughter, Amber, have so far survived the apocalypse so far. How? Don't ask me, all I know is that we're here but I don't know how long that'll be. Both of us are hot, dehydrated, exhausted and weak. I don't know how long its been since I've slept more than an hour. I've been so busy trying to hide from those mutations and keep Amber safe that I haven't had time to worry about my health.

My head begins to spin…

"Mom?" I'm snapped back into reality by my daughter's voice.

"Yes Amber?" I reply.

"How far are we going to go?"

It's an innocent question but I don't know the answer. "I don't know, baby. Just keep walking, we'll find something eventually." She nods but I know she's weary. I stop and take out a bottle of water in my back pack then hand it to her. She gives me a questioning look but I know she's secretly longing for it. "Go ahead." I motion towards it.

"But it's our last bit and you haven't had any." She says worriedly.

"Don't worry about me, love. We'll get some more soon." I try to smile but it fails so instead I wrap her hand around the bottle.

She finally gives in and takes a small sip before trying to give it to me but I disagree. She frowns but finally drinks the rest after I coax her. I smile approvingly then look back up but I must've done it too fast my head spins again and I nearly fall over.

"Mom?" Amber questions as she reaches out to steady me.

"I'm alright." I wave dismissively but the world continues to spin. Which direction were we going in again? This way? Yeah…this way…straight ahead…I think.

"Mom? Mom!" Amber jerks my hand and I shake my head attempting to clear it.

"What?"

She points the opposite way I'm facing. "This way…we were going this way." She insists.

"Oh…" is all I say as I ignore her worried look and face the other way. She wants to say something else but all she does is grab my hand and leads me in the right direction.

Get it together, Melissa, you have a daughter to look after. You can't check out now. I scold myself and it works for a few minutes but then that stupid spinning feeling returns. No. No, no, no, no, no, don't you do it. Not now. Not here. Not in the open like this. You can make it.

But no matter how much I try to talk my body into listening, it does the complete opposite. I'm so dehydrated that I don't even have enough water in me to sweat or even cry. My head is killing me, it hurts to move, my heart is race, I can barely breath and my stomach is ready to rid it's self of lunch. However, when I finally sink to my knees and start coughing up absolutely nothing, it hurts like hell. There's nothing to throw up, not the least bit of water or food.

I feel a dainty hand rubbing my back and I think she's trying to speak but I can't make out what she's saying.

Wait, where are we? Oh, that's right. We were on our way to grandma's…just a block away from our apartments. Amber looks scared…why? I wipe my mouth on my sleeve then attempt to stand. "Don'tcha worry, baby, we'll be at Grandma's soon." My words slur.

Amber's eyebrows furrow together in confusion. I point a shaky hand to an invisible road. "See, it's right…over there."

Amber grabs my hands. "Momma, stop it you're scaring me! We're miles away from home and besides, Grandma is dead." She says in a saddened voice.

I look ahead and see a figure a few yards away hobbling towards us. "See! There she is. She's comin' to greet us!" I insist. I walk towards the figure. "Hey Mama, it's been a while." I greet happily. I swear I see her smile and open her arms out for me

"No, Mom!" she hisses in a hushed voice and pulls me away behind a mountain. How the heck did that get there? I stumble and fall onto the lush green grass. Oh that feels good. It's been a long time since I've slept on anything soft. I feel a hand pulling on me and the faint sound of my daughter's crying. "Hush lil' baby. Er' thing… gonna be…a'right." And then I fade into dreamland.

I dream about the weirdest things. None of it makes sense. Memories of the past, better times. The faint sound of my daughter's cries when she was first born. Rocking her to sleep. Graduating high school and attending college. People's taunts and whispering behind my back, then some familiar faces pushing me around and calling me a whore because I was pregnant at fifteen. Me trying to keep my head up because they have no idea why the hell I am this way. My mother in the hospital, still joyful even though she was slowly slipping away. Flowers on a grave. Tucking my daughter into bed. The dead coming back to life. People screaming and being attacked. Bombs going off. Everybody running. Kill or be killed. Screaming, running, crying. Holding Amber close to me as we flee then I hear scream as a rotten hand grabs a hold of her and the fight is on to get her back but it's too much as she's yanked out of my arms and thrown into the hungry mob of the undead. I scream her name as they rip her apart and then suddenly I'm being held down and yanked apart.

"Amber!" I awake screaming her name frantically. I try to sit up but am being held down. I hear voices but I can't make out what they're saying. My instinct is to fight against whatever is holding me down. "Let me go!" I growl as I yank my arm free and punch the nearest thing. I hear a groan, a human one and suddenly I realize that I'm back to reality so I try to settle down.

"It's ok, honey, settle down." A soft voice says. I open my eyes and am greeted by a lady with light greenish blue eyes with short grey hair. I'm gasping for air and can't quite catch my breath. Beside her are two other women. One with blonde hair and green eyes and the other, long brown hair and brown eyes. To the side of them is a man with dark hair and a bloody nose and dark eyes that sort of freak me out.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I finally manage to get out but just that sentence wears me out.

The lady with green eyes answers. "I'm Andrea and this is Carol, Lori and Shane. We're part of a group of survivors from Atlanta. We found you on the side of the road passed out. There was a little girl fighting off Walkers when we came up."

I grab her arm. "Is she ok?" I ask frantically.

"She's a little shaken up but fine. She's in another vehicle with Carol's daughter and Lori's son."

"That doesn't help me much. I want to see her. With all due respect, I don't know you people." I say unsurely.

"Well you best get to know us soon. You're gonna be stickin' around for a while." The man named Shane says.

I shoot him a glare. "Says who?"

"Says me." He says rudely.

"Listen I don't know who you think you are-"

Lori interrupts and shoots Shane a glare. "What Shane means to say is that you passed out from heatstroke and exhaustion and you're in no condition to travel on your own."

"Oh that's what he meant? Pardon me, I don't speak asshole." I mumble sarcastically as I try to sit up but my head begins to spin wildly. I place my head in my hands. "I don't need ya'll's help."

A moment of silence passes before Carol speaks up. "I know you're scared and you didn't exactly wake up to the best welcome part but we can help you. Our group isn't much but we pull together and manage. There's good people here. You can trust them." I look away unconvinced.

I feel another gentle hand grab my own. "Please let us help. At least for the sake of your sister." Lori says.

I think about it for a few moments. I don't know these people but that doesn't mean I shouldn't count them out just yet. They did save us after all and isn't that what I've been looking for anyway? A group of survivors that could help us? I'm really in no condition to deny it. Especially since my ten year old had to fight off…what did they call them? Walkers? Whatever they are, she doesn't need to go through that again. At least not now.

"She's my daughter." I finally say.

"What?" Lori says with a confused expression.

I look up at her. "The little girl. Her name is Amber. She's not my sister, she's my daughter."

Everyone looks slightly shocked but finally Andrea has the nerve to finally ask the question all of them want to know. "How old are you?"

"Twenty five. Amber is ten." You could hear a pen drop. "I know, do the math." I say slightly defensively. Lori and Andrea look surprised and slightly conflicted yet Carol looks strangely sympathetic. I huff out a sigh. "Long story short, wrong place at the wrong time."

"I'm sorry." Lori whispers.

I shrug. "I'm not. Shit happens. It wasn't her fault." I say quietly.

All three of them nod nervously before Carol speaks up. "We all have a history and a life before the world ended but I don't think any of that matters now. The fact is that you're here now and we're going to do everything we can to keep you and your daughter safe. That is, if you choose to stay."

I offer her a small smile. "Thank you." I can tell right away that Carol isn't a bad person. I don't know about the rest of them yet but she seems to have a more gentle nature about her. I clear my throat and sit up, my head finally clearing. Andrea hands me a bottle of water and I take it without hesitation. "So what happened? How did you find us?"

"One of our people was driving ahead and saw your daughter fighting walkers. She took out about five or six but she was still surrounded. He stopped to help, a few of our men backed him up and took the rest out. Shortly after Amber led us to you. You're very lucky to be alive. Heatstroke is nothing to play around with." Lori explains.

"Yeah, well, your daughter's life is nothing to play around with either. I gave everything to her and yes I know I should've taken better care of myself but when you're constantly on the run from those…things and you have a child with you, you just don't think about yourself until your body demands it." I pause for a moment before continuing. "Amber isn't selfish. She always thought about me too and I knew she felt guilty about taking half the stuff I gave her."

Lori squeezes my hand. "I can't imagine myself doing it any differently. You did what you had too. And you're right, Amber isn't selfish at all. In fact, I think she was more worried about the men than she was herself, asking them if they were ok and if they'd gotten bit or not."

I sigh but smile. "That's my girl." I chuckle. "She's ok though?"

"She's fine. A little shooken up at first but within a few hours she opened up and made friends with just about everybody. She's a sweet little girl." Lori says kindly.

"Brave too." Shane speaks up. "You don't see a lot of ten year olds standing up and taking out zombies."

"Most of them didn't have to until this whole mess happened." I mutter somewhat bitterly. "I guess even the youngest can surprise you when it comes down to protecting your friends and family."

"Suppose you're right." He replies then looks out the window.

I look to the three ladies. "I'm asking a typical mom question here but has she behaved herself?"

All three of them smirk. "She hasn't been a problem at all. She actually lightened up the mood a bit last night when she accidently shot an arrow through T-Dog's beer can." Andrea laughed. "She was terrified of being in trouble but all he did was laugh and said 'nice shot'."

I close my eyes and shook my head. "Really Amber?" I muttered to myself.

"Don't worry, after we all joked about it Rick and I talked to her about safety. She has good aim though and we have someone who could probably train her. With your permission of course." Shane says.

I nod. "It's not the first time Amber's handled a bow. She wanted to learn for fun so we put up a target in the back and tried it out a few times. She's pretty good at it but because I was so busy she didn't have a lot of practice time. I would love for her to learn more though."

"It's a good thing to learn, especially during these days. I think all the kids are going to go through a lot of training soon. They need to know how to defend themselves. Think that's very clear to everyone after yesterday."

"I just can't believe we're talking about a ten year old. She acts much older." Lori whispers.

I look down and suddenly become interested in a loose string on my jeans. "It's because she's had to grow up a lot faster than I'd like, even before this." I pause as memories flash before my eyes. "Like mother like daughter." I whisper.

A slightly awkward silence fills the air. Carol's eyes are sympathetic, as though she understands and can see right through me, so I look away. It makes me kind of uncomfortable. I don't need her sympathy. It doesn't matter anymore. I can't handle the past and the future at the same time, it's too much. I think of something that grabbed my attention though and I ask, "You said this all happened last night. How long was I out?"

"All day yesterday and half of today." Lori answers.

My eyes widen. "Damn." I mumble, earning a few soft chuckles.

"We figured you were tired so we let you sleep." Andrea says.

"You were right. It'd been two days since I slept. Too paranoid and scared." I explain.

"I think we all can relate to that." Lori says then pats my hand. "But don't you worry. We're going to get through this."

"I hope so." I say though I have my doubts. It's hard to believe anyone can survive this mess. It's all just a matter of time, right? I shake my head. I can't afford to think like that. "I hate to ask but are we going to stop soon? I'm anxious to see my daughter."

"I'll go check." Andrea says then disappears up front.

"Should be stopping soon, need to fill up on gas soon." Shane says.

His thoughts are confirmed when Andrea comes back and announces, "About twenty minutes then we'll stop for gas and lunch."

Ugh, twenty minutes is going to seem like a lifetime but I've waited this long so I might as well spend the time getting to know everyone. So I nod in agreement then say, "So, what's ya'll's story? How did everything come together and where are ya headed?"

Everyone looks at each other with a sad look and finally one by one start filling me in on their little survivor family and how they all came to be together. I learned who everyone was and their short story, who they were, who they are now and who they lost. I find it that Lori's husband's story is nothing short of a miracle. Being in a coma then waking up to this hell and still being able to find your family? I suddenly have a lot of respect for a man I never meant and I don't have any bad feelings about him leading the group.

I learn that before they found us, they went to the CDC in hopes of finding help/shelter and a cure which was a lost cause that ended in an explosion, literally. Though I'm slightly disappointed about their findings, I'm also grateful because otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here.  
When they finally finish, all I can do is be in awe. They've been through so much already. I was wrong for being judgmental. Well, except for Shane. I still think he's an ass but maybe he'll prove me wrong. "Respect to all of you for coming this far. I don't know how long we're all going to be together but I am grateful for you taking the time to help us. Any extra time with my daughter is something I will never take for granted, I hope ya'll know that."

As I hear someone up front honk the horn and feel the RV slowly come to a stop, Carol smiles and says, "Let's not make you wait any longer."

Just then an older man probably in his sixties comes to where we are and greets me with a big smile. "Oh, Sleeping Beauty has finally awaken." He says with chuckle then extends his hand to me. "Name's Dale." He introduces himself.

I take his hand and smile. "Melissa."

"I understand you have a little girl that's very anxious to see you." He says then unlocks and opens the door. "You should go take care of that." He grins.

Excitement races through me but I know I shouldn't stand up too quickly. Lori and Carol help me up and make sure I'm steady enough to walk. Dale helps me down the stairs. "Easy now." He says as I stumble down the last step. Then he points to the car in front of us and I see three children getting out, one of them being Amber.

Suddenly my feet can't carry me fast enough as I race towards her. "Amber!" I cry out and she turns around, a bit alarmed at first then realizing who I am, she slams the door and takes off running.

"Mommy!" She yells excitedly and I see the ten year old side coming out in her.

When we finally "embrace" it's more like a collision which nearly knocks the breath out of me and causes me to fall to my knees but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that my baby is in my arms again and I don't plan on letting her go any time soon. We're both sobbing and muttering things to each other.

"Ain't that a sight?" I hear Dale say warmly in the distance.

I'm sure we are a sight, probably a complete mess but when you come so close to death and you realize you and your child just cheated death…well, you're bound to be an emotional wreck afterwards.

Amber pulls away for a second and says with teary blue eyes, "I thought you were dead. I was so scared."

My daughter is very mature for her age but just then she sounded so childlike and it broke me into pieces. I grab her arms gently, forcing her to look at me. "I know you were scared, baby and I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through that but I'm here now and I promise it won't happen again." She sniffles then wraps her little arms around me and rests her head on my shoulder. I kiss her forehead then rest my chin her head and rock her back and forth. "Oh, my brave little girl." I whisper.

My grip on her is like iron as the rest of my emotions come flooding in. The relief…I can't even explain it. It's like have a ton of weight lifted off your shoulders.

I don't know how long we stay like that but when I finally open my eyes, I notice that I have an audience so I try to regain my composure enough to at least walk back into the RV. But before I do, I make eye contact with a man that's standing by Lori, both whom are wearing small smiles. I walk over and ask, "Are you Rick?"

"I am." He replies kindly.

"Lori told me all about you. I'm sure you're one of the only people who understands how relieved I am right now. Without you and your people, neither of us would be here." I hold out my hand for him to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Melissa and you already know Amber."

He takes my hand and shakes it firmly along with a kind smile. "I do understand which is why I'm grateful we were at the right place at the right time." He says sincerely then pats my arm. "You two must be exhausted, go get some rest. We'll let you know when we're ready for supper."

Now that he mentions it, I am still exhausted. Though I slept, it wasn't peaceful. But now that I have my daughter in my arms, I'm whole again and I can finally lay down knowing that she's safe.

I'm in such relief and shock that I don't remember walking back to the RV or if I had any help or how we both managed to fit on this small little mattress. The only thing that brings me back to reality is the sound of my daughter's voice.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I think prayers work." she says while playing with my hair, one of her favorite things to do.

"You think? How so." I humor her.

"When you passed out, I was scared. I was scared that I lost you…and then those things…the Walkers…they came out and I didn't know what to do. So I prayed. I prayed to not be scared and then…I wasn't scared any more, I remembered what you told me to do. Then Mr. Rick and Mr. Daryl and all of them came and helped me. They rescued us and took care of you. Now you're ok and you're with me, here and…I think we're going to be ok." As she says this, she's falling asleep and I don't mind the stray tears that fall down my face. In fact, I welcome them.

I don't know if she's right or not but I'm not going to ruin her childlike faith. Part of me wishes I had it myself. My only reply is kissing her softly on the head and saying a soft thank you while pulling her close. Then I finally fall into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

A few hours, it's hard to believe that I'm not back in my own bed and none of this stuff happened. Especially when I hear a sweet singsong voice whisper my name. "Mommy, time to wake up." My eyes flutter open and I see a sparkling pair of blue eyes staring back at me. I attempt a smile as I brush her blonde hair back behind her ear.

"So soon?" I joke, even though I'm wide awake now.

"You've been asleep for hours," she says dramatically. "You have to come for supper and meet everybody."

"Think I'd rather stay here and be a turtle." I smirk. Just then, my stomach rumbles loudly in protest, which sends Amber into a laughing fit.

"I don't think Mr. Tummy agrees with you." She giggles and I can't help but join her.

"I guess you're right." I laugh as I finally sit up and stretch.

"So you're getting up?" she says hopefully.

"I suppose." I say with a dramatic sigh and roll my eyes.

She giggles then squeals with excitement then runs towards the door but not before stopping and greeting the person who just came in. "Hi, Mr. Dale!"

"Hello, Sweetheart." He greets politely. "Did you get your mom up?"

"Yes! She's going to stop being lazy and join us for supper!" She announces excitedly, earning a big laugh from Dale.

"Amber!" I try to scold but end up laughing.

All she does is giggle even louder then runs out the door. I roll my eyes then look at Dale. "Great, now everyone is going to think I'm lazy and sleep twenty hours a day. All thanks to my little bundle of joy." I laugh.

"Kids say the darndest things, don't they?" He replies with a wide grin and shake of his head.

"No shit." I mumble but can't hide my smile.

Dale snickers. "She's been a joy to have so far. Very active and helpful, polite, makes everyone laugh which I think was much needed after all that's happened so far." He says with a quick sad smile. "She made fast friends with Sophia and Carl. They're all pretty close in age and you'd think they'd been friends for years." He laughs then offers an encouraging smile. "Just wanted to assure you that she's no trouble and neither are you. I'm sure it must feel a bit awkward at first but I assure you you're in good hands. This group has a bad apple or two, you'll see them eventually but Rick has been leading us so far and has done a good job. You can trust him."

I smile in return. "I'll take your word for it."

"Well then, come meet the group." He says cheerfully then walks out the door.

Just as I'm about to walk out the door, a mirror reveals my true look and I jump back. Well, I guess no one looks their best right now but the least I can do is brush my hair. I spot my backpack and pull out my hair brush and a few other things to fix myself up. I look at my reflection and say, "this is as good as it's gonna get."

Finally, I take a deep breath and nervously make my way towards the others. We're out in the country still I take it, probably a few miles from the highway camped out in an open space. It's beautiful and peaceful and I actually look forward to the campfire that everyone is around.

But my nervousness and insecurity stops me and I freeze. Amber, who was just giggling with another little girl, spots me and immediately her face lights up and runs towards me. She knows I'm nervous but she takes my hand and says sweetly, "Come on, everyone has been waiting to meet you."

I wordlessly allow her to lead me to the rest of the group where Amber proudly introduces me to everyone. Most of them I already know besides T-Dog and Glenn who shakes my hand respectfully. I nod to the rest of the group then sit down between Carol and Amber. Lori hands me a plate and I thank her, realizing how hungry I actually am right now.

Amber and Dale were right about the group. They all shared stories good and bad, tossed around jokes and occasionally picked on each other. It comfortable, almost peaceful. It was actually hard to believe the world had come to an end and any moment a walker could come out of those woods. However, I decided to ignore the threat because right now it was calm and fun and there was no reason ruin that.

A few minutes, I hear a rustling in a tree and grab Amber's arm just in case we have to make a run for it. The other's notice my alarm and Rick and Shane stand up with knives ready to go. The rustling gets louder but all that comes out is a man in jeans and a sleeveless shirt with a crossbow strewn over his back.

He notices the tension as he stops and holds up his hands. "Chill, people. Just me." He says sarcastically then continues our way.

Everyone sits back down and relaxes except for Amber who takes off running towards the man before I can say anything. "Daryl!" She exclaims.

"Sup', Lil' Chick." He greets her with a high five.

She grins from ear to ear as she returns it then catches his hand and starts dragging him over to where we are. "Come on! You have to meet my mom." I swear the whole universe is going to know me by the time my child gets done.

Daryl looks super annoyed and uncomfortable but she doesn't see it and is nice enough to humor her. She looks at me excitedly and says, "Mom this is Daryl. He said my walker killing skills were 'kick ass!'"

Everyone's eyes widen, including Daryl's as my mouth drops open. T-Dog, who had been drinking, nearly spits out his beer and started the laughing. I notice a few others trying to hide their smiles and I can't help it either. "What a nice compliment." I finally answer sarcastically.

Amber's eyes light up even more and I don't have the heart to scold her because her excitement is genuine. "Yeah, he called me a Badass Warrior Princess!" She informs me enthusiastically.

And that's when everyone loses it and laughter fills the air. Even I have to cover my mouth which doesn't work well because my smile is from ear to ear. Damn it, why do I have to be the responsible one?

"Lovely." I mutter under my breath as I result to burying my face into my hands.

"Man, this kid cracks me up!" I hear T-Dog laugh.

My hands finally drop to my lap and I look up at Daryl. "Any other choice phrases you'd like to teach my ten year old?" I try to ask seriously though it's hard to keep from laughing, especially when you hear a whole bunch of people go "oooooo" and "somebody is in trouble".

"My bad." Daryl apologizes while rubbing his neck.

I feel a tug on my shirt. "Sorry Mama, I didn't want him to get into trouble." Amber says with genuine concern.

I sigh then push her fly away hairs back behind her ears. "I forgive you both but next time I hear those words or any other words come out of your mouth, you're getting your mouth washed out with soap, understand?" I warn then point a finger at Daryl. "You too, mister." I add with a wink.

"Yes ma'am." They say respectfully at the same time, earning a giggle from Amber and a few snickers from the others.

Carol hands Daryl a plate of food then he starts heading back to his tent. "You're not going to stay?" Amber asks in a disappointed voice.

Daryl turns around and says, "Nah, think I've gotten into enough trouble for today."

"Oh, ok." She replies like she really understands, which just made me laugh even harder. Daryl shakes his head then goes back to his tent. Maybe he's not so bad.

The rest of the night goes by pretty quickly. Eventually, everyone is getting ready for bed and once Amber is asleep, I help Rick with a few things outside.

I swear, I've seen him somewhere before but I can't put my finger on it. Oh well, maybe he's just a familiar face. Perhaps I saw him at a grocery store or something.

"I have to ask," I start as I help him put up a tent. "who was the first one who stopped to help us?"

Rick gives me a questioning look. "I know it may seem weird and I'm thankful for all of you who helped but humor me. My daughter's life is everything to me and I just want to make sure credit is given where it's due." I explain quickly.

"Well, that would actually be Daryl. He was the first one out there. We couldn't figure why he didn't drive on at first and thought he was is in trouble but then we saw Amber fighting alone." He replies.

"Daryl? The one who called my daughter a 'Badass Warrior Princess?" I respond taken back a little.

Rick laughs. "Yep, that's the one."

"Forgive me, but that kind of surprises me. Doesn't seem like that's something he'd normally do."

Rick stops what he's doing and looks at me. "You know, I haven't really figured Daryl out quite yet. He can be rude, stand offish, short tempered and don't be surprised at the stuff that comes out of his mouth. He mostly keeps to himself but don't under estimate the loyalty he has towards the group. He's actually helped out a lot. It may be hard to believe sometimes but he's not completely heartless."

I humor him with a smile. "I suppose I could give him a chance."

Rick laugh. "Just don't be surprised if he isn't the most welcoming person in the world." He warns.

"I take it he didn't exactly welcome you with open arms." I muse.

"Yeah, well his brother was a threat to us all. Got into some trouble in Atlanta and ended up handcuffing him to a piece of metal on the roof. Things got out of hand and we didn't have a chance to go back for him." Rick pauses as he replays the memory in his mind. "Daryl didn't exactly take the news very well but I don't blame him. It was wrong and I knew that. Tried to make it up to him by going back the very next day but his brother was already gone."

"Gone?" I ask confused.

"Cut off his hand." He whispers.

I flinch. "Did you find his body?"

"Nope. We considered browsing the streets but there's no way he would've survived that. He'd either bleed out or worse." He hesitates before adding. "Just because Merle was an asshole doesn't mean I don't regret what I did. If I could redo it, I would."

I walk over and squeeze Rick's shoulder. "There's no time for regrets. I don't believe anything goes without reason, even if it's bad. If he did bleed to death, well that's a shitty death but a hell of a lot better than being eaten." Rick looks away at that comment but I continue. "You did what you had to do and the fact that you had the courage to go back for someone like shows you're not only a good man but a good leader also."

"Yeah well, being a leader sucks." He answers bluntly.

"Ha, yeah you're telling me." I agree. "Sometimes it really does suck but you just gotta know that the right people have your back and if you make a mistake and they can't get over it, then… screw em'." I finish jokingly, earning a laugh chuckle from Rick. "I'm a pretty blunt person, Rick. If I have a problem, I'll say it to your face but not before thinking it through first. We humans are pretty famous for assuming and making an ass out of ourselves before we take anything into consideration. I know I can only speak for myself but as of right now, you have my respect."

Rick nods, taking my words into consideration. I meant every word I said. I left out that he doesn't fully have my trust but that's not saying anything considering no one has my full trust. Giving him respect is the best I can give right now.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a stubborn, foulmouthed redneck to thank." I say sarcastically.

"Good luck. He's not exactly good accepting gratitude either." He grins

I shrug. "Won't be the first person I've met like that and most likely won't be the last." I assure him. "I'll be alright."

"Suit yourself. If anything goes wrong, just holler." He says as he nails the fortress down. I nod in agreement and then as I turn to walk away, he adds. "By the way, thank you." I smile then wave as I leave to find the place Daryl left to earlier.

I spot Daryl's tent a little further away from the rest of the group. From what I can see, it looks like he's on a little hill under a huge oak tree. I bet it's beautiful in the day time.

Daryl is organizing his supplies when I walk up. "Bit of a loner, aren't ya?" I say which gets his attention. I offer a friendly smile then motion around his little camping site. "It's a beautiful place."

Daryl continues cleaning his arrows. "I'm around people all day. I'll take all the alone time I can get." He pauses for a moment then adds. "Not a lot of people are a big fan of my company here anyways."

I furrow my eyebrows together. "Are you saying you're the Rudolph of this group?" I attempt a joke.

Daryl snorts. "Guess you could say that."

I shake my head. "Well I don't believe that. I think you should give them more credit than that."

The look he gives me makes me flinch as he throws down the rag he was holding. "What do you know about it? You've been here less than a day and suddenly you're an expert on this group?" He snaps then walks around to his motorcycle.

"If it's so bad then why are you still here?" I challenge with a slight laugh.

He pauses then shakes his head, ignoring my question. I can tell I'm pissing him off. Finally, he speaks up. "What the hell do you want?"

I sigh, knowing this isn't going anywhere tonight. But maybe he's right. I don't know anything about this group. Maybe I should lay off but I'm too stubborn. "For you to chill out and listen to what I have to say." I backfire.

"Well then spit it out." He snaps.

I roll my eyes and ignore him. "Word on the street is you're the one who stopped to help my little girl." I begin.

"Where'd ya hear that?" He asks unconvinced.

I narrow my eyes. "The so called godawful group back there." He shoots me a glare which I respond with a smirk.

He turns away and digs through a bag. "What about it?"

I dare to take a step closer. "I came to thank your sorry ass."

"Pfft. Well now you did, so you can be your way."

"Oh you're not gonna get rid of me that easy. I am just as stubborn and hard headed as you are. And I'm a woman." I say jokingly, earning a sarcastic laugh from Daryl. "Now stop being such a hard ass so I can properly thank you." He shoots me an icy look. "Please." I add seriously.

He sighs then reluctantly looks up at me, giving me permission to speak. "Rick told me what happened, how you stopped to help when you could've kept on going."

"Maybe I did. You don't have to make a big deal out of it." He says while playing with his thumbs.

I shake my head. "I don't but I am." My voice softens a bit. "You don't realize how much she means to me." I pause, looking down at my own hands. "It's not just the fact that you saved her from the walkers. You saved her from being alone. Your nickname for her is fitting. She's a strong little girl but she's still only ten years old. The thought of her being alone in this messed up world is terrifying."

A moment of silence passes as I think of all the things that could've gone wrong but didn't.

It sends a shudder up my spine. "I don't see why it's such a big deal." Daryl says quietly. "You see a child alone on the street fighting monsters, of course you help. It's the human thing to do."

I stifle a laugh. "Yeah, well sometimes you can't be too sure of people. Even before the shit hit the fan this world was screwed up. Luck was rarely on my side when it came to people." I whisper a bit darkly. "And by the way you act, it looks like it hasn't exactly treated you much different." He looks up for a split second then away again but in that short moment, I can see the pain in his eyes and I know I'm right. "We're not guaranteed tomorrow and I want to be at peace knowing that I thanked the man who at least gave me one more day with my baby girl. Words can't do it justice but…thank you."

Daryl nods then looks away. A minute or two passes by before he breaks the silence. "You're welcome." I look up and he offers a faint smile.

I return it and thankfully the mood lightens up a little. As I turn to leave I say, "Maybe you're proof that not the whole world has gone to shit." I smirk.

Daryl snorts which earns a soft laugh from me. "Goodnight, Daryl."

"Good night." he whispers.

And with that, I leave him alone with his thoughts and memories.

As I get back to camp, I see Rick and Carol sitting and talking down by the fire pit. They stop when I walk up and turn their attention to me. "How'd it'd go?" Rick asks curiously.

"Probably about as well as you think." I smirk but Rick and Carol frown.

"Is everything alright?" Carol asks curiously.

"It's fine, really it is." I wave dismissively.

"Well I didn't hear it any yelling or fighting so I take that it went down better than I expected." Rick says.

I nod. "It took a few tries but I finally got him to shut up long enough to say thank you." I chuckle.

"Mission accomplished then." Rick smiles.

"I'd say so." I answer quietly then yawn which Carol ends up repeating causing us all to laugh.

"Get some rest, you two. Long day ahead of us tomorrow."

We nod in agreement, neither us obliging. It's funny how I've slept so much but am still ready for bed. I make my rounds saying goodnight to everybody then finally make my way inside the RV and change into pajamas. I make a mental note to try to get up early in the morning to help with chores. I don't have an alarm clock but I have a child which is even better.

As I climb into bed next to Amber, I push out all the awful thoughts and possibilities and I close my eyes, I can only hope that tomorrow will go over smoothly.


End file.
